What happened
Following takeoff, the landing gear began its retraction cycle but hesitated briefly near the midpoint before completing the movement. Subsequent attempts to lower the gear using both normal and emergency systems were unsuccessful. The aircraft arrived at Dulles International Airport with the gear in an intermediate position. The pilot elected to land on the grass area to the left of runway 30. Shortly after ground contact, the aircraft struck a two-foot-high embankment.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the circuit breaker for the landing gear motor had tripped. Functional testing showed that the main landing gear operated correctly. Extensive damage prevented testing of the nose gear. Maintenance records indicated that another taxiing aircraft had struck the spinner area while the accident aircraft was tied down, requiring repairs immediately before this flight.
Findings
The tripped circuit breaker likely contributed to the inability to extend the landing gear. The prior collision with the spinner may have affected systems or maintenance procedures. The decision to land off-runway resulted in impact with terrain.